Exercising game apparatus.



L. B. TAYLOR & F. D. J. W. BARTLETT. EXERCISING GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

949,385. Patented Feb. 15,1910.

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L. B. TAYLOR & F. D. 8; J. W. BARTLETT.

BXERGISING GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909. 949,385. Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN B. TAYLOR, OF LYNNFIELD, FRANK I). BARTLETT, OF SOMERVILLE, AND JOHN W. BARTLETT, OF LYNNFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO LYMAN B. TAYLOR,

OF LYNNFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXERCISING GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1.5, 1910.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LYMAN B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynnfield, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, FRANK D. BARTLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, and J OHN WV. BART- LETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at said Lynnfield, have invented new and useful Improvements in Exercising Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine which is operated by means of a blow, preferably by a bat, upon a ball which has the general character and appearance of a base-ball, the said blow setting in action certain mechanism whereby another baseball is represented as traveling around a ball-field of the usual diamond shape in general line with the bases, the distance traveled corresponding with the force of the blow upon the first-named ball.

The nature of the invention is fully described in detail below, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved exercising game-apparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. l: is a horizontal section taken on line t1, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail in vertical section and side elevation showing a modification.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Reference-numeral 10 represents a suitable upright board or surface contained in a frame 11 and supported by a suitable supporting frame comprising legs 12 and 13 a cross-bar let and a stiffening brace 15. ()n the exhibiting board 10 is a representation of a ball-field, 16 representing its boundaries, 17 the foul lines, 18, 19 and 20 the locations of the first, second and third bases, 21 the location of the home plate, and 22 the paths leading from base to base.

23 represents a curved slot constituting an arc of a circle, said curved slot connecting at one end with a hole 24 in the board and ex tending around the ball-field in general line with the bases and ending at a comparatively short distance from the home plate,

as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. At suitable distances along this slot are letters, such as 1 'B H, meaning one base hit, 2 B H, meaning two base hit, II R, meaning home run, 0, meaning out, etc. These letters may be altered or rearranged as desired, their object being simply to indicate the extent of the travel of the ball as representing the supposed length or quality of p the hit, as produced by the power of the blow on the ball connecting with the mechanism below described.

25 is a representation of a base-ball supported by the outer end of a horizontal rod 26 extending through the hole 2 1 and secured at its inner end behind the board 10 to the lower end of a rod or arm 27 whose upper end is rigidly connected with a spindle or shaft 28 having bearings in said board 10 and in a bar 29 secured to the rear side of the board, Figs. 2 and 3. A coiled spring 31 is secured at one end to the spindle 28 and at its opposite end to the board 29, and a ratchet-wheel 30 is rigid on said spindle. A pawl 32 is in normal engagement with the ratchet-wheel and is pivotally connected at 33 to the rear side of the board, the lower end of the pawl being looped or slotted at 34 in order to engage a horizontal pin 35 (Fig. 2) which extends from a horizontally sliding bar 36 whose outer ends are provided with forwardly extending pins 37 which project through short slots 38 in the lower portion of the board 10 near its outer edges, said pins 37 being provided at their outer ends in front of the board with knobs 39. Rigid on the spindle 28 is the hub 40 of an arm 41.

42 constitutes a casing supported by the frame and provided at its upper end with a cap 43 in which is a hole 45, and through this hole extends a vertical rod 4.4 (Figs. 2 and 3) preferably bent at 46, the upper end of this rod extendil'lg up against the under side of the arm ll and the lower end extending down through a suitable guide-hole in the lower end of the casing 42 and sufliciently beyond it to allow of a spiral spring (l7 which surrounds said rod between the casing and a flange or ring -18. This rod 4st is provided with a pair of rolls 49 within the case 42 which rest upon a bifurcated wedge 50 which extends on opposite sides of the rod under the rolls from a horizontal rod 51. The rod 51 extends outward through the end of a cap 52 which is secured to a casing 53, and a spiral spring 54; surrounds said rod between a pair of elastic rings 55 which lie next a collar 56 and the end wall 57 of the case 53 respectively. Secured to the extreme outer end of the rod 51 is a ball consisting preferably of a metallic core 58 and an elastic outer covering 59, the whole resembling a base-ball.

In operation, the person desiring to test the machine, either for the purpose of ascertaining how far he can drive the baseball 25 around in the slot 23, or for the purpose of driving it to a certain predetermined distance, strikes the ball 58, 59, preferably with a base-ball bat, driving in the rod 51 against the power of the spring 54, compressing it and forcing the wedge 50 forward, raising the rod 4st by means of the rolls 19. The upper end of the rod 1 1-. swings up the outer end of the arm &1 and imparts rotation to the spindle 28, communi eating rotation to the ratchet 30 and contracting the spring 31. The rotation of the spindle swings the rod or arm 27, and as the slot 23 is on the arc of a circle whose center is at the spindle 28 the ball is carried along in said slot as far as the force of the blow propels it. If the ball for ex ample reaches the point marked 1 B H, it corresponds with a base hit. If the ball reaches the point marked H B, it corresponds with a hit which would produce a home run, and so on according to the inscription next the point at which the ball stops. hen this point is reached the ball is held in such position by means of a suitable spring 60 which bears against the pawl 32, and when it is desired to release the mechanism so as to be in readiness for another blow, the bar 36 is moved, moving the lower end of the pawl 32 and swinging its upper end out of engagement with the ratchet, and the spring 31 restores the spindle 28 to its original normal position with the ball 25 at the beginning of the slot 23. The ball 59 is restored to its normal position by the operation of the spring 54:.

The modification in Fig. 5 shows the lower end of the rod 44: resting on a bellcrank 61 instead of on the wedge 50, and the rod 51 operates the bell-crank directly. The outer end of this rod instead of having the baseball 58, 59 applied directly to it is provided with a head 62, and the base-ball is secured to the end of a separate rod or spindle 63. a spiral spring 64 surrounding the outer end of the rod 51 and said rod 63. Moreover spiral spring 65 surrounds the lower end of the rod 44 within the casing 42. In this modification when the base-ball 58, 59 is struck by a bat, the spring 64 contracts and the end of the rod 63 strikes the head 62 and drives in the rod 51 against the bellcrank 61, moving up the rod 14: against the power of the spring 6ft. The springs 64, 5st, and 65 return the parts to their original positions. It will be seen therefore that in this invention, instead of driving a pointer around a dial in order to indicate the power expended by the person who strikes the mechanism of the machine, a ball made to imitate exactly a base-ball, even to the style of stitching employed, is propelled along a slot formed on the arc of a circle, no pointer or hand of any kind being shown on the surface of the board 10, and the ball traveling around the bases on a representation of a ball-field.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a board exhibiting on its surface the representation of a'ball-field and provided with a slot in substantially the form of an arc of a circle, a. rod or holder extending through said slot and provided at its outer end with a structure adapted when the rod or holder is moved in the slot to indicate its progress around the bases, a ratchet-mechanism located behind the board centrally in the circle of which the slot constitutes an are, a rod connected at its ends with said holder and ratchet-mechanism, a springmechanism provided at its outer end with a structure adapted to receive a blow from a baseball bat, and mechanism intermediate with said spring-mechanism and ratchetmechanism whereby a blow on the structure at the end of the spring-mechanism imparts movement to said holder along the slot, for the purpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a board exhibiting on its surface the representation of a ball-field and provided with a slot in substantially the form of an arc of a circle, a rod or holder extending through said slot, a ratchet-mechanism comprising a spindle, spring, ratchet and pawl said spindle being located atthe center of the circle of which the slot constitutes an arc, a rod rigid with said spindle and secured at its outer end to the holder of the base-ball, a spring-mechanism provided at its outer end with the representation of a base-ball, and mechanism intermediate with said spring-mechanism and ratchet-mechanism whereby a blow on the ball at the end of said spring-mechanism imparts move ment to said holder and moves the ball supported thereby along said slot, for the purpose set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a board exhibiting on its surface the representation of a ball-field and provided with a slot in substantially the form of an arc of a circle, a rod or holder extending through said slot, a ratchet-mechanism comprising a spindle, spring, ratchet and pawl said spindle being located at the center of the circle of which the slot constitutes an arc, a rod located behind the board rigid with said spindle and secured at its outer end to the holder of the base-ball, a springmechanism provided at its outer end with the representation of a base-ball and at its inner end with mechanism for engagement with and imparting rotation to said ratchet whereby a blow on the ball at the end of said spring-mechanism imparts movement to said holder and moves the ball supported thereby along said slot, and mechanism for rendering the holding means inoperative, for 15 the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LYMAN B. TAYLOR. FRANK D. BARTLETT. JOHN \V. BARTLETT.

Witnesses:

HENRY \V. WVILLIAMs, M. A. A'rwoon. 

